Heroic PC dies without a penny for injuries

Four years after he was maimed while protecting children from a joyrider, an officer died a pauper

Julia Gray says the death of her husband Keith could have been avoided (Julian Andrews)

WHEN PC Keith Gray saw a drunken joyrider career towards a group of children,
he did not think twice before throwing himself in front of the car.

His heroism left him with a broken back and the prospect of a life of
disability. Four years later Gray was dead after taking an overdose of
painkillers.

At his inquest last month the coroner returned a verdict of accidental death
but Gray’s widow, Julia, believes the real culprit is the Criminal Injuries
Compensation Authority (CICA), which, even by the time of her husband’s
death, had failed to pay out a penny.

While the total number of outstanding cases being handled by the CICA has
fallen in recent years, there are concerns that too many people such as Gray
are having to wait years for compensation.

Gray, 40, who had been recognised for his bravery by the Metropolitan police,
was run down while